Who's Who Among the Godless, Gallery 9

Who's Who Among the Godless, Gallery 9

9. Mynga Futtrell and Paul Geisert

Mynga Futrell and Paul Geisert created a media firestorm in 2003 when they first presented the use of the term "Bright" to describe atheists, agnostics, non-believers, freethinkers, humanists, or anyone with a "naturalistic worldview." Since then the Brights movement has gained the support of atheist thinkers and authors including Daniel Dennett, Richard Dawkins, and Steven Pinker. The term, meant to offer a positive spin on atheism, did stir up a fair amount of controversy; many atheists and freethinkers found the term belittling or silly. But Futrell and Geisert, both former teachers who founded the site www.teachingaboutreligion.org, have pressed on; there is now an official Brights logo, Brights website, and Brights communities throughout the world.